Around the Scene: Oct. 27, 2011

Ben Pundole, the man behind Montauk's hautest hotels, Ruschmeyer's and the Surf Lodge, is eyeing Brooklyn for expansion. In conjunction with business partner Rob McKinley (the visionary designer behind GoldBar, Cain Luxe in New York City, as well as Surf Lodge and Ruschmeyer’s) and ex-CEO of Morgan’s Hotel Group, Ed Scheetz, the trio’s urban chic hotel, which still is unnamed, is slated to have a series of nightlife offerings courtesy of McKinley.

New venues are popping up around Chicago. In Bridgeport, the owners of Nana plan to open a nightlife retreat dubbed My Office, in the space adjacent to their restaurant. And while Jam closed its original location, its new Logan Square home will be ready to welcome it in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Estate, a new ultra bar/club, is taking over where Life’s Too Short once reigned on Goose Island. The space, about 3,000 square feet, is undergoing a large overhaul to get ready.

Studio 54, the world's most famous nightclub, reopened for one night only last week at its original location, in honor of the Studio 54 radio station on SiriusXM. The club closed for good in 1986 and has been home to a theatre company since 1998. The party, which drew the likes of Keith Richards and Amanda Lepore, even brought back some of the original décor, such as the moon in a spoon hanging over the stage and shirtless gents serving up the libations.

As part of the "Heineken Open Design Explorations Edition 1: The Club" contest, Heineken announced that 19 emerging designers have been chosen to co-create a nightclub concept. Designers were chosen from Japan, Brazil, the United States and Italy; more than 200 designers applied to be a part of the program. Working together, the designers’ unique perspectives about nightlife will be brought to life by Heineken as a “pop-up club” and presented at Milan’s design fair in April 2012. To find out more, click here.

In Greenville, Ind., the city council recently voted 6-0 to close all businesses with an Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) permit at 2 a.m. The current ordinance allows businesses with ABC permits to stay open after 2 a.m. to serve food, but the clubs staying open have caused a public safety problem, according to Police Chief Freddie Cannon. Club owners worry they’ll be missing out on substantial business between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.

AmnesiaMiami, South Beach’s new mega-club, opened this month. With more than 26,000 square feet of all-white space over two levels, the club has four bars, 70 VIP tables, two VIP sections, a large LED screen wall and a dance floor for 800.

Josephine Nightclub & Lounge in Washington, D.C., closed for the past two months for renovations, bringing in Miami-based designer Mark Lehmkuhl to revamp the hotspot. With an additional 1,000 square feet added, the now 4,800-square-foot space includes a main bar and an updated Gold Room. With gilded art deco furniture and reflective walls, the design provides ample room for more tables and large parties.